Vermont paid sick leave
Under the Vermont Earned Sick Time, employees accrue 1 hour per 52 hours worked, up to 40 hours a year.
Informational, not legal advice. Checked against Congressional Research Service report R48921 and the state's own labour department. Statutes change every session — confirm against the primary source linked below before setting a policy. Last verified 18 August 2026.
The rule, in detail
| Accrual rate | 1 hour per 52 hours worked |
|---|---|
| Annual accrual cap | 40 hours |
| Annual use cap | 40 hours |
| Carryover | Permitted, capped at 40 hours |
| Frontloading allowed | Yes |
| Waiting period before use | 0 days |
| Employer size threshold | All employers |
| Payout on termination | Not required |
| Effective from | 1 January 2019 |
Notes
DENOMINATOR IS 52, not 30.
Covered reasons
- Employee illness
- Family care
- Domestic violence
- Safe leave
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Pick “Vermont statutory sick leave” when creating a policy and these values are filled in for you, including the remainder carry that partial hours require.
Try for freeWhat that works out to
“1 hour per 52 hours worked” is the statute's wording. Here is the same rule as an annual number, which is what you actually need in order to budget for it or to check a balance someone is disputing.
A full-time employee · 40 hours a week
40 hours a year
2,080 hours worked ÷ 52 = 40 hours
A half-time employee · 20 hours a week
20 hours a year
1,040 hours worked ÷ 52 = 20 hours
A new full-time hire earns their first full eight-hour day of sick leave after roughly 10.4 weeks of work.
Frontloading instead of accruing
Vermont lets you skip accrual tracking by granting the full entitlement — 40 hours at the start of the year. It is less administration, and it usually costs more: a leaver in March keeps what an accruing employee would never have earned. Frontloading also normally removes the carryover obligation, so the two decisions are linked rather than separate.
How Vermont compares
Vermont is an outlier on the accrual rate. Most mandate states grant one hour per 30 hours worked; here it is one per 52, which means employees earn more slowly than they would elsewhere. Copying a policy written for another state will produce the wrong balance.
| State | Accrues 1 hour per | Annual cap |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 30 hours | 56 hours |
| Arizona | 30 hours | 40 hours |
| California | 30 hours | 80 hours |
| Colorado | 30 hours | 48 hours |
| Connecticut | 30 hours | 40 hours |
| Maryland | 30 hours | 40 hours |
| Massachusetts | 30 hours | 40 hours |
| Michigan | 30 hours | 72 hours |
| Minnesota | 30 hours | 48 hours |
| Nebraska | 30 hours | 56 hours |
| New Jersey | 30 hours | 40 hours |
| New Mexico | 30 hours | 64 hours |
| New York | 30 hours | 56 hours |
| Oregon | 30 hours | 40 hours |
| Rhode Island | 35 hours | 40 hours |
| District of Columbia | 37 hours | 56 hours |
| Illinois | 40 hours | 40 hours |
| Maine | 40 hours | 40 hours |
| Washington | 40 hours | None |
| Nevada | 52 hours | 40 hours |
| Vermont | 52 hours | 40 hours |
Common questions
How much paid sick leave do employees earn in Vermont?
Employees accrue 1 hour of paid sick leave for every 52 hours worked. Over a full-time year that is about 40 hours; at half time it is about 20 hours.
Is there a cap on how much sick leave can be accrued in Vermont?
Yes. Accrual stops at 40 hours in a year. Anyone working more than 2,080 hours in the year reaches that ceiling and earns nothing further until the next accrual period.
Does unused sick leave carry over to the next year in Vermont?
Yes. Unused hours roll into the following year, up to 40 hours. Carryover is separate from the annual cap, so a balance can be larger than one year of accrual.
Do employers have to pay out unused sick leave in Vermont when someone leaves?
No. Unlike accrued vacation in many states, unused sick leave is generally not payable on separation here. A more generous company policy can still create the obligation, so check what your handbook promises.
Can we frontload sick leave instead of accruing it in Vermont?
Vermont lets you skip accrual tracking by granting the full entitlement — 40 hours at the start of the year. It is less administration, and it usually costs more: a leaver in March keeps what an accruing employee would never have earned. Frontloading also normally removes the carryover obligation, so the two decisions are linked rather than separate.
Does Vermont sick leave apply to part-time employees?
Accrual is tied to hours worked, not to job title, so part-time employees earn at the same 52-hour rate — they simply reach the total more slowly. Someone working 20 hours a week accrues roughly 20 hours across a year.